Al-Barazani press conference in Damascus

Leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraq, Massoud al-Barazani, on Monday described his meeting with President Bashar al-Assad as "cordial and fruitful."

He added that the talks dealt with the current situation in Iraq, the complicated issues and means of solving them in a way that would end the catastrophic situation in Iraq.

In a press conference held Monday, Barazani said that his discussions with senior Syrian officials were successfully concluded and achieved the aspired-for goals, adding that the aspirations of the Iraqi people in building a multi-party democratic Iraq, holding free elections and shifting to a stage of national legitimacy through forming a permanent constitution in Iraq were stressed during the talks.

He stressed full keenness over the participation of all the Iraqi parties in the political democratic process as well as working seriously to establish cooperation with the neighboring countries, through supporting the Arab and international efforts in the framework of the UN to restore Iraq's security and stability.

He added that "we need Syria's moral and positive support, particularly we are on the eve of holding elections in IraqÉ and Syria has her weight. We have crucial and historical relations with Syria and this helps us overcome many obstacles."